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30 Jan 2003 : Column 1024W—continued
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Justice Administration (Kent)
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department(1) if she will make a statement on the proposals to create three benches of nearly 300 magistrates in Kent; [93456]
- (2) what consultations took place prior to the proposals to reorganise the administration of justice in Kent; and if she will make a statement; [93455]
(3) what assessment she has made of (a) travel distances and (b) costs for court users of the proposals to reorganise the administration of justice in Kent. [93457]
Yvette Cooper: The information is as follows.
1. By statute, the organisation of magistrates courts is a matter for the local magistrates courts committee, in this case, the Kent magistrates courts committee
2. The Kent magistrates courts committee issued consultation documents on their proposals to reorganise the administration of justice, in February 2001, April 2002, and December 2002. If any proposals are pursued, a further period of consultation will take place.
3. It is for the Kent magistrates courts committee to assess the travelling distances and costs for court users of their proposals. The Lord Chancellor is not required to make any such assessment on the proposals at this stage, but will take into account any objections to these proposals before making a decision on whether to approve the draft order for reorganisation.
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment she has made of the financial implications of the recent proposals to reorganise the administration of justice in Kent. [93458]
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Yvette Cooper: By statute, the organisation of magistrates courts is a matter for the local magistrates courts committee. The Lord Chancellor is not required to make any such assessment. Kent magistrates courts committee has addressed the financial implications of their proposals in their consultation document entitled "2004 and Beyond" which was published to stakeholders in February 2001. The purpose of the reorganisation is to achieve more efficient utilisation of courtrooms in Kent.
PRIME MINISTER
Asylum Induction Centre
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), Official Report, column 294, what the correct consultation procedures are for the establishment of an asylum induction centre; and where they are published. [94508]
The Prime Minister: Procurement exercises undertaken by NASS are carried out in accordance with standard procurement procedures, which should include consultation with local authorities. However, we are undertaking a full, independent review of NASS operations and business procedures, including procurement processes, in order to ensure that full consultation with local communities takes place consistent with the need to preserve commercial confidences.
Gun Crime
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban), Official Report, column 299, if he will make a statement on the reasons for the increase in gun crime since 1997; and in which areas there is a culture of gun crime. [94510]
The Prime Minister: Armed crime accounts for a very small proportion of overall crime offences. However, the Government are determined to tackle the problem of gun crime. We have therefore announced our intention to bring forward a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for illegal possession of a firearm. New measures to tighten up the law on airguns and replica firearms will be included in the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill. Individual police forces have also introduced targeted initiatives for tackling gun crime, such as operations Trident in London and Ventara in Birmingham.
Port Controls
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), Official Report, column 295, what the evidential basis is for his statement that the Government has put juxtaposed controls across all ports; and what kind of controls are in place for ports on the Isle of Wight. [94507]
The Prime Minister: This Government introduced three formal juxtaposed frontier controls in France, to cover Eurostar services at Paris Gare du Nord, Lille
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Europe and Calais Frethun stations, in June 2001. These controls have had a dramatic impact on the number of inadequately documented arrivals at Waterloo and Ashford International stations. There had previously been a juxtaposed immigration control at the Eurotunnel site at Coquelles.
The establishment of juxtaposed controls in Calais and Dover is a priority and was agreed in principle by the Home Secretary and his French counterpart in July 2002. UK Immigration Officers have been working with their French counterparts in an advisory capacity at Calais since August 2002. We will sign a treaty soon to set the legal framework to provide for full immigration controls at Calais and subsequently at other channel ports. We will deploy immigration service resources on a targeted and flexible, intelligence led basis to ports other than Calais to counteract any displacement that may occur.
UK Immigration Officers operate in a similar capacity in Brussels. We are negotiating with the Belgian Government to introduce a formal juxtaposed immigration control at Gare du Midi in Brussels for Eurostar services to the UK.
The Immigration Office in Portsmouth deal with all arrivals at the Isle of Wight that require the attention of the Immigration Service.
Publicity and Advertising
Mr. Laws: To ask the Prime Minister how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2000–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement. [92223]
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office today.
Sickness Absence
Mr. Laws: To ask the Prime Minister what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in his Office in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for his Department; and if he will make a statement. [93486]
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office today.
Terrorist Suspects
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), Official Report, column 294, what the evidential basis is for his statement that members of the official opposition had said that the measures to detain without trial people suspected of terrorism were illegal and contrary to civil liberties. [94511]
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the statements made by the right hon. Member for West Dorset (Mr. Letwin) on 19 November, 2001, Official Report.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Mrs Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the guidelines with regard to the protocols for attaching antisocial behaviour orders to criminal proceedings will be made available. [92173]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 29 January 2003]: The Crown Prosecution Service is currently preparing guidelines, to be published next month, on the role of prosecutors in prompting orders on conviction. The Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) are working with them on this.
Arrests
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to the police about the publication of the names of persons arrested but not charged with criminal offences. [93033]
Mr. Denham: The Home Office does not issue guidance to the police about the publication of the names of persons arrested but not charged with criminal offences. The Media Advisory Group of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) of England, Wales and Northern Ireland issued guidance in December 2000 on individuals under police investigation which is available on the ACPO website.
The guidance recommends that generally people under investigation should not be named but can with certain exceptions be identified once they have been charged. The guidance clearly advises that people who are under arrest should not be named, although general details may be given provided they do not identify the suspect.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether persons who fought against British and US troops in Afghanistan have (a) applied for and (b) been granted asylum; and if he will make a statement. [92877]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 23 January 2003]: Between 1 January and 30 September 2002 6,910 initial decisions were made on applications made by Afghan nationals. Of these 80 were grants of asylum.
All applications for asylum are considered on their merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The UK is under no obligation whatsoever to give asylum to those who pose a threat to our security and national interest. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary requested a full examination of grants of asylum to Afghans as a result of recent press speculation. This process is on-going, but absolutely no evidence has so far been uncovered that anybody with a credible claim to have supported and fought for the Taliban has been granted asylum. All claims of links to the Taliban are investigated and security checks are made on those that give cause for concern.
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Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has introduced in order to improve the effectiveness of vetting asylum seekers for terrorist links. [92840]
Beverley Hughes: All asylum seekers are screened, in a three-tier process:
- The details of all asylum seekers are checked against the Warnings Index system.
Their fingerprints are taken and checked against existing Home Office record and EURODAC and they are photographed. New asylum seekers are being issued with an Application Registration Card and we have established reporting centres to improve the contact management arrangements.
The last step, the interview, has different levels of screening which allow for those with acceptable evidence of identity and nationality to be fed into the system while allowing for more in-depth screening interviews for those with little or no credible evidence. Should there be any indication given during any of the process that someone might be of security interest then the information is quickly passed onto the appropriate agencies.
Beverley Hughes: We have submitted planning notifications for accommodation centres at DSDC (Defence Storage Distribution Centre) Bicester and Royal Air Force (RAF) Newton. A shortlist of three further sites remains under consideration. They are: Sully Hospital, Cardiff; AirWest, Edinburgh; Hemswell Cliff, Lincolnshire. Site searching continues, but details of sites will not be put into the public domain unless or until the site is considered to be a serious prospect for the siting of an accommodation centre.
To date the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has entered into contracts for the use of hotel beds to support induction processes in Dover and Sittingbourne. NASS is currently considering options for other such accommodation throughout the UK. Details of these sites cannot be released because that information is commercially sensitive.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanism is in place to track the place of residence in the UK of those who have sought asylum. [93204]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 23 January 2003]: As part of the initial screening process, asylum-seekers are required to provide proof of residence at a particular address. This address is recorded in their Home Office file and in the databases maintained by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND). Applicants and their representatives are told that they must notify the Home Office of any subsequent change of address, at which point the records are amended. For those subject to a reporting regime, verification of the place of residence is carried out during the reporting event.
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Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Home Office will be placing asylum seekers in Quadrant House in Dunstable, Bedforshire. [93663]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 28 January 2003]: There are no current plans to use Quadrant House, Dunstable, Bedfordshire as accommodation for asylum seekers. This should not be taken to mean that the Home Office would not ever consider the property if it was put forward. The property has not been offered to us.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Afghan nationals claiming asylum in Britain have stated that they fought with the Taliban; and how many of these asylum claims have been accepted. [92983]
{**con**}{**/con**}
Beverley Hughes: (Between 1 January and 30 September 2002 6,910 initial decisions were made on applications made by Afghan nationals. Of these 80 were grants of asylum) .
All applications for asylum are considered on their merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The UK is under no obligation whatsoever to give asylum to those who pose a threat to our security and national interest. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary requested a full examination of grants of asylum to Afghans as a result of recent press speculation. This process is on-going, but absolutely no evidence has so far been uncovered that anybody with a credible claim to have supported and fought for the Taliban has been granted asylum. All claims of links to the Taliban are investigated and security checks are made on those that give cause for concern.
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